Thermal Simulation of a Screenhouse Proposed for Fruit and Vegetable Production in the Lowlands of Panama

Abstract

In developing countries, open field agricultural production is highly vulnerable to biotic and abiotic factors limiting crop productivity, generating economic losses and affecting food security. Therefore, one of the strategies that can improve these production systems is the implementation of the crops under cover technically adapted to the climatic and socioeconomic conditions of each region. The objective of this research was to analyze the thermal behavior and airflow patterns of an insect-proof screenhouse through computational fluid dynamics simulations using a 3D model. The results obtained for the multiannual monthly climatic conditions of a warm climate region in Panama showed that the airflow velocities inside the structure were lower between 76.8 and 80.2% with respect to the external velocity. The most critical scenarios showed temperature differences below 2℃ inside the screenhouse with respect to the outside. This value can be considered low as compared to the behavior of naturally ventilated greenhouses.